“The infestation by lice or pediculosis affects people without distinction of any kind, and is not necessarily associated with poor hair hygiene. However, once contagion has occurred, it is necessary to maximize cleaning measures to eliminate them completely, especially in the case of children, since contagion can be common in nests and nurseries”, says Dr. Yaril Moreyra, dermatologist at our clinic.

How do you get head lice?

Lice attach themselves to the hair to feed on blood from the scalp. These bugs do not jump or fly from one person to another, transmission almost always occurs by direct contact (head to head) with an infested person. To a lesser extent, they can be contracted by sharing combs, hats, towels, or other clothing. Lice that infest hair do not spread other diseases.

What can happen if the contagion is not treated immediately?

Pediculosis causes pruritus (itching) on ​​the scalp, this leads to scratching and the formation of wounds that can sometimes cause a superinfection by bacteria such as staphylococcus, which must be treated with antibiotics.

What is the initial treatment against lice?

• Medical treatment consists of topical application of lotions that kill lice, such as permethrin, applied once and repeated after 7 days. In resistant cases, medications can be administered orally. Generally, 24 hours after the second application of the topical lotion (ninth day after starting treatment), all the lice on the scalp are eliminated. Be careful, you can always generate some resistance to this type of medication, which decreases its effectiveness.
• An alternative form of treatment is the use of the “patrol” comb. This comb is usually made of steel, with very fine teeth and a separation of 0.2 mm. The entire head should be combed with damp hair, removing the lice manually. Although it can be an effective method, it is also usually very tedious, since it takes up to 1 hour and must be repeated every 3 days for several weeks.
• We must not forget that management must be community, either at school or in places where these infections have arisen, individual treatment is not enough if exposure to contagion is maintained.

Recommendations for your children to reduce the risk of infection:

• Avoid head-to-head contact when playing and doing activities at school, home, and elsewhere (sports, outings, sleepovers, camps).
• Do not share articles of clothing such as hats, scarves, coats, hair bands or barrettes, combs, brushes, or towels.

Dr. Yaril Moreyra
Dermatologist at Clínica Ricardo Palma